Cat and Mouse
by Madame Band Geek
Summary: What happens when you take away the thing that Robin cares about most? He comes back for it, with a vengeance. Starfire is kindapped by Slade, but Slade wants to do something other than taunt Robin... he wants eternal life. And he needs Starfire to do it.


Cat and Mouse

Chapter One

What happens when you take away the thing that Robin cares about most? He comes back for it, with a vengeance. Rob/Star, little bit of BB/Rae

I don't own the Teen Titans.

And bear with me, this'll get better.

_ Unless specified, this is thoughts. _

HAPPY (belated) BIRTHDAY xox.Annie Potter.xox! (Stupid ol' Ha, guess what? I wrote this in May. Bite me for being a bit behind with the postingness, and the whole Brotherhood thing. Let's just say it's after it.

* * *

Itwas really the perfect summer day, the trees in bloom, the grass green, and not a villain in sight… yet. It was a lazy, sleepy summer day. Perfect for one's favorite activity.

Raven was sitting under a tree, meditating. She had decided that the roof was getting a little old, and why waste a perfectly good opportunity to be one with nature?

Cyborg and Beastboy were locked in a stalemate. They were both playing Stankball, and trying very hard not to annoy Raven, for they knew consequences could be fatal, or at least dangerous to your health.

Starfire, with Robin, was "cloud gazing", an activity recently taught to her by Robin. She loved it; every imaginable shape all in a cloud. It fascinated her.

And Robin was doing something he thought he'd never do: spend some quality time with Starfire, and not be obsessing over Slade at the same time.

"… and that one looks like a gorplax… oh! And this one is a serploz!"

Although Robin had no idea what a garfunkle or a sorxples was, he nodded and said, "Yeah, it does."

The Tamaranian rolled onto her stomach and looked into Robin's eyes. Or rather, the eyeholes of his mask.

"This is what you call peaceful, is it not?" Starfire's eyes held some kind of concern.

Robin nodded, and added, "It's also what you could call a lazy summer day."

"But why is the summer lazy, friend Robin?"

Robin flushed. "No, it's not like that… it's an expression. It means that the day is sort of dragging and you have nothing to do… and it's peaceful and sleepy and…" Robin trailed off pathetically. You couldn't blame him, because he simply couldn't think when Star was so close to him.

Raven arched an eyebrow in Robin's direction, as if to ask, _Got anywhere yet, Lovesick Boy Blunder?_

Robin scowled in reply, and returned Star's gaze. Their eyes held each others for what seemed like eternity, not wanting to break the bond… not wanting anything to disturb them…

But the cosmos had other plans.

"Heads up, dog!" Cyborg yelled.

Robin's head snapped up to see the "Stankball" flying at Mach one towards them, coming closer and closer…

…Until it hit him square in the face.

Beastboy and Cyborg couldn't help it. They started laughing. Raven chuckled at the mere sight of Robin's face, full of confusion, anger and "stankstuff".

But Starfire overreacted a bit.

"Friend Robin!" She cried, "Are you in need of assistance? Do you hurt anywhere?"

Beastboy and Cyborg almost busted a gut.

A look of pure venom was shot in their direction. But one could not keep a straight face when the sender's face was covered in "stanksuff". Beastboy and Cyborg continued snickering behind their hands.

Robin wiped the stuff off his face, upset that the perfect moment with Starfire was ruined. But, seeing the concern on her face cheered him up. Only slightly.

"No, Star, I'm fine." He insisted, pulling a face and continuing to wipe the stankstuff off his face, "I'm just covered in…"

"Stuff." Star finished for him.

"Guess you could call it that." Robin grumbled, mostly to himself, as he watched Cyborg and Beastboy reenact the moment.

_**

* * *

**_

Later on that day, in an even lazier afternoon, the alarm suddenly went off.

"It's Plasmus!" Robin shouted, running in the main room from a Slade Session, "he's attacking the city park!"

Raven looked up from her book and glanced at the screen.Robin looked ready to strangle her for being so calm while the city was in moral peril. At least until Starfire flew by, and zoomed straight out the door.

Once everyone had flown/drove/ran/used any form of transportation available over to the city park that Plasmus was terrorizing, Robin was ready to let loose with a fabulous line, but unable to think of any, the sound that came out of his mouth was: "Uhh… STOP!"

Everyone looked at Robin in surprise (including Plasmus), positively struck dumb that a 'Robin Line' had failed, and that he was unable to think of any. But who could think, if you were staring at Starfire, and your crime-fighting name was Robin?

Incredibly flustered, Robin squeaked out. "Teens-go!"

There was no need to defeat Plasmus; He was nearly having a coronary. Plasmus couldn't comprehend the fact that Robin was having trouble with his speeches. And the fact that he used 'Teens' instead of 'Titans' had totally thrown him off.

The people of the city who were under duress continued screaming.

_**

* * *

**_

"Man that was awesome!" Beastboy shouted, waving his hands dramatically. "Did you see him? I was like, _wham_, and he was like, _"AHH!"_, and I was like-"

"Let's keep in mind that Robin's electrifying speech sent Plasmus into shock." Raven interrupted, pulling the plug on Beastboy's story of how he brought down the Mud/Goop/…_Stuff_ monster that was Plasmus.

"You're just jealous." Beastboy finally said, pointing a finger in Raven's direction, "'Cuz you got no action time!"

Raven looked at him with that death glare she had mastered. Beastboy slid down into his seat and shut up, hint well taken.

He would never admit it; he loved the Cloaked Goddess of Herbal Tea and Insults. And he might never know that she loved him back.

"Beastboy," Raven said carefully, taking a chance.

"Yes?" Beastboy looked at her excitedly.

"I have to tell you something," Raven began, "And it might be a shock."

"It's all right, Rae, I can take anything."

"Don't call me Rae." Raven said automatically, and then she took a deep breath and let it out.

Beastboy looked at her intently, hoping that she would say the three words he always wanted to her from her…

"The village called. They're missing their idiot."

Raven's words rang for a total of two seconds, before Cyborg started laughing insanely. Everyone else joined in, except for Beastboy, who flushed and slid down even farther in his seat.

Raven smiled in triumph on the inside.

_**

* * *

**_

Beastboy was nursing a wounded pride from Raven's attack on his ego. Was today attack-Beastboy's-inflated-head day?

In addition, Cyborg beat him on video games again! If he had had the nerve, he would've asked Rae, but he didn't, for fear of being incinerated while she read the rest of some ancient-looking book.

"What'sa matter, grass stain?" Cyborg suddenly said, as he pointed to the screen which showed his character doing a victory dance.

"I was thinking." Beastboy came back defensively.

"That's a shock." Raven called from her perch on the other side of the room.

Beastboy crossed his arms and glared. At this rate, he'd have no ego left.

_**

* * *

**_

Raven glanced over at Beastboy and Cyborg. They had been playing videogames for five consecutive hours. How could they do that? It completely boggled her.

Raven looked at her book with disgust. It was horribly written and a third character had just been killed off. She closed her book with a snap, and stalked out of the room.

"What's eating her?" Cyborg rhetorically questioned.

Beastboy shrugged in response.

"I dunno. Maybe it's me. Maybe I'm bugging her. Damn, she'll never-" Beastboy stopped short.

"She'll never what?" Cyborg asked slyly, a grin playing on his features.

Beastboy mumbled something inaudibly.

"What?" Cyborg persisted, poking his friend in the ribs. "What'll she never do?"

"Like me." Beastboy mumbled. "That way."

"Oh." Cyborg said. "_Oohh_."

The grins of all grins couldn't compete with the one that Cyborg wore now.

Beastboy looked at him worriedly. "Don't tell her, Cy, please don't tell her!"

Cyborg looked genuinely shocked that BB would suggest such a thing. "I won't, BB, I won't!"

Beastboy looked at him suspiciously. "Shake on it?"

Cyborg nodded.

_**

* * *

**_

The alarm began ringing.

"Not _again._" Raven moaned.

Robin's body went rigid, staring at the screen.

"It's Slade."

"What?" Beastboy asked, "I thought that he was gone! I thought that we had…had…taken him down again!"

Raven stared at the screen, with an unreadable expression. "If he came back once, he can come back again. But this time, Trigon's not around, so who is it?"

"There's no time to debate!" Robin interjected. "C'mon! We got to go and bring him down."

"Again." Raven muttered under her breath, somewhat sarcastically.

Once arrived at the power plant, a horde of Slade-bots was waiting to say hello.

"Titans- GO!" Robin shouted, and charged forward with his bo staff.

He struck one clear across the face, and another in the ribs. He parried various attacks, and thrusted one end of his staff into the chest of another robot.

Starfire was fighting off her opponents with ease. She dodged several blasts, and fought back with starbolts of all kinds.

Didn't it occur to them that this was going way too easily?

Apparently not.

Robin was out of breath. He circled the remaining Slade-bot, ready to strike, when it suddenly went limp and slumped to the floor.

His eyes widened.

_ What? …_

"Good evening, Robin."

"Slade."

Slade came into view from the shadows, and chuckled softly. "You've improved greatly, Robin. Yet, you were wide open, and ready to hit, and one point. You should protect yourself more effectively."

Robin sensed that this conversation had a second meaning. "Get to the point Slade."

Slade seemed to grin. "You care for this girl, don't you?"

He was holding a picture of Starfire, taken recently while she was fighting. It was black and white, grainy and fuzzy, but she clearly showed.

Robin's heart began to beat faster. "What did you do to her!" He demanded.

"Absolutely nothing, Robin. They're all waiting outside for you. You better go now, and learn to protect what is yours…"

Slade walked back into the shadows and disappeared. Robin attempted to follow him, but Slade was already gone. Robin backtracked, and he exited the building.

When he met up with the rest of the Titans, Starfire enveloped him in a back-breaking hug. She let go quickly, embarrassed.

"Are you unharmed, friend Robin?" Her eyes looked into his with genuine concern.

He never knew how much he loved her until then.

"I'm fine. C'mon, let's go home."

_**

* * *

**_

Robin, later on that day, sat at his desk, his head in his hands. He knew that Slade had some hidden agenda, but at the moment, he couldn't exactly figure out what it was. Now, it was almost eleven-thirty.

A knock came from the door. It slid open, and Raven was standing there.

"Are you okay? You've been in here for hours. Star's worried about you."

He glanced at her, and then ran his fingers through his hair. "I'm fine. It's just something that Slade said."

Raven said sympathetically, "Don't think too much on it. Sometimes, all Slade does is want to… well, you know what I mean."

Robin did. But this time it felt different- dangerous, almost. "Thanks, Raven."

Raven exited the room, shaking off a foreboding feeling.

Robin watched her go, and followed her. The door slid shut behind him, the click sounding almost like a note of finality.

He wanted to be sure. He opened the door to Star's room, and was relieved to see a sleeping form.

_ Maybe, someday… _he thought, gazing at her._ Someday I'll tell you how I feel. _

He turned around to walk back to the kitchen. He poured himself a glass of water, and set it on the counter, tapping his fingers idly.

He knew he was scared. He was afraid of what Slade might do. He was scared for Starfire, and scared for himself.

_**

* * *

**_

Forty-five minutes later, Robin awoke with a start. He discovered that he had fallen asleep, and he decided that it was time to call it a night.

With each step closer to his room, the feeling of uneasiness increased. Something was wrong- drastically wrong. As he passed Starfire's room, the feeling reached its pinnacle.

Unable to bear it any longer, Robin quickly punched in the access code, and the door seemed to take a painstakingly long time to open.

Robin gasped, his heart stopping.

"_STARFIRE!" _

The room was empty.

But that wasn't all.

_**

* * *

**_

Lame cliffhanger, right? And the mood takes a drastic turn, if you notice. Expect it to turn darker.

I think I suceeded in making every character look like an idiot. Whoopee.

Review. Make my day. Now. I command you. (I'm spending too much time with Jimmy XD)


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